


The Hell He Brought Upon Himself

by GodOfHyperdeath86



Category: RWBY
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, F/F, F/M, Grief/Mourning, I'm Sorry, Multi, Post-Volume 5 (RWBY), Rage, Revenge
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-15
Updated: 2018-05-23
Packaged: 2019-03-31 20:16:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 15
Words: 15,961
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13982553
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GodOfHyperdeath86/pseuds/GodOfHyperdeath86
Summary: What if the bombs at Haven academy had detonated?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! This is my first fic ever, so if you have any suggestions on how to improve, please be sure to tell me in the comments! Thanks for reading! I will be adding more chapters at some point, but I wanted to get this out there to see how many people would be interested in seeing more.

The flames were everywhere. Everything was burning. Blake watched, helpless as the building collapsed in front of her with Yang inside. She ran into the burning academy, screaming Yang’s name in desperation. 

 

_ She's okay. She has to be okay. Please be okay. _

 

When she finally found Yang, the sight terrified her. Her bionic arm had been ripped off and crushed by the remains of the ceiling. Her hair was ablaze, her aura desperately trying to heal her wounds. Her other arm was stuck under the head of a statue, having been blown off when the bombs were detonated. Her entire body was covered in cuts, deep gashes bleeding far too much. Her legs were broken, bits of bone protruding from the skin. But worst of all, was the gaping hole in her side. Her right side from her waist to her chest was gone. Just, fucking  **gone.** She fell to her knees, sobbing. She had failed Yang again. Was that all she could ever do? Fail others when they counted on her? In between her sobs, she heard something. Her faunus ears pricked up, searching for the sound again. Then, she heard it. A cough. A weak cough, but a cough all the same. 

 

_ She's alive! Oh, thank gods! _

 

“Yang?” Blake called gently, her voice cracking as she spoke. “Yang, can you hear me?”

 

“Blake?” Yang croaked. “Blake? Is that you? Where are you? I… I can't see.”

 

“Yang! You're okay! Oh thank gods! I'm right next to you.” Blake sobbed

 

Opening her eyes, Yang focused on Blake's face. “Why are you crying? What's wrong?”

 

“You… you're hurt. Badly.”

 

“Shit. How badly?” Yang asked.

 

“You're missing part of your side, both your legs are broken, and both your arms are crushed.” Blake replied, still crying.

 

“What… what happened? The last thing I remember is the cops showing up and that red-haired bastard going psycho.” She then began coughing violently, more and more blood coming up each time.

 

“Yang! Don't speak. I'll tell you everything that happened as soon as we get you out of here.” Blake said, desperately scanning the area for any medics. 

 

“Blake…”

 

“Save your breath Yang.”

 

“Blake, I have something to tell you.”

 

“What is it, Yang?”

 

“I just want you to know I'm  _ feline  _ alright. And this is gonna be one hell of a  _ tail _ to tell our kids.”

 

“Yang, now is not the time!” Blake all but screamed.

 

“Hey, don't go acting all  _ catty  _ on me.” Yang laughed, bringing with it another coughing fit.

 

“You know what, I don't care what you do as long as it keeps you alive.”

 

“In all seriousness, though, I really do have something to tell you.”

 

“What is it, Yang?”

 

“If I don't make it out of here…”

 

“Yang Xiao Long, don't you dare talk like that. You're going to make it out of here, we're going to get your stubborn ass fixed, and you're going to live out the rest of your life.”

 

“I know I'm going to make it. But in the hypothetical situation that I dont, I want you to know that I love you. I have since we started at Beacon as Team RWBY.”

 

Blake stared at Yang in a mixture of confusion and surprise. “What?”

 

“I know you probably don't feel the same way. But I needed to get that off my chest. And it feels great to have finally told you.”

 

“Yang, I…" Blake found herself at a loss for words

 

“Cat got your tongue?” Yang asked after about a minute of Blake stuttering.

 

“I was going to say I love you too, but I'm reconsidering now.”

 

Yang giggled, her lilac eyes locked with Blake's ambers. Blake found herself wishing that this moment would never end.

 

Then Yang’s laughter stopped. Her breath hitched in her throat and she grunted loudly. The adrenaline had faded, and the pain was starting to return. Her aura was numbing it somewhat, but she still felt like she was on fire. Trying to keep positive, she thought about all the things they would do together when she got out. But suddenly she was hit by a wave of exhaustion.

 

When Yang’s eyelids began to droop, Blake became worried again. “Hey, you can't sleep yet. I promise as soon as we find a doctor, you can, but stay with me for now. I'm going to see if I can move this statue head, alright? Just stay awake.”

 

“I'll try. But before you do that, can I ask you for a favor?”

 

“Of course, Yang. What do you need?”

 

“Will… will you kiss me?” Yang asked, with a rare blush on her face.

 

Blake took a moment to register what Yang had said, then slowly crouched down next to Yang. “You have no idea how long I have wanted to hear you say that.” Gently, she took Yang’s face in her hands and pressed their lips together. She held the kiss for a minute, before slowly pulling away to see that Yang was unusually still. Thinking that Yang had fallen asleep, she tried to grab Yang’s attention. She then noticed that the rise and fall of her chest had stopped. With a sense of dread and panic hanging over her, she checked Yang’s pulse.

 

 

It had stopped. Yang Xiao Long was dead. 

 

 

Blake began sobbing uncontrollably. In a single moment, she had lost her partner, teammate, best friend, and the love of her life. Her sadness consumed her. Until a new emotion emerged. Rage.

 

It was all  _ his _ fault. That red-headed bastard had taken everything from her. And the more she thought, the angrier she became. She let out a guttural cry of pure, unadulterated rage before she fell to the ground, weeping again. She heard people behind her, calling her name as they searched the rubble. Blake ignored them, and simply continued sobbing, draping herself over Yang’s body protectively. After a time, she looked up to Yang’s face. Her eyes, still full of life, were open. Gently reaching up to her face, Blake closed her eyes, and gently gathered Yang’s lifeless body into her arms.

 

She carried Yang all the way through the school, and outside. She saw medical staff tending to the injured, police arresting members of  the White Fang, and Ruby and Weiss huddled together in a corner, seeking comfort from each other and the remaining members of Team JNPR. When Ruby saw Blake, she rushed over as fast as she could, dragging Weiss behind her.

 

“Blake! Blake! Are you alright? Did you find Yang? Where is she?”

 

At the mention of Yang’s name, Blake burst into tears. Worried she had done something wrong, Ruby rushed closer to Blake, but stopped dead in her tracks when she saw Yang’s body in Blake's arms. Her gunmetal eyes brimmed with tears, and she collapsed to her knees. She dropped Crescent Rose in favor of Yang’s hand. Blake and Ruby stayed huddled protective around Yang’s body for hours, weeping together and sharing their sorrow. When the police came around to question them about what had happened, they refused to let go of each other, and they fell asleep holding each other's hands.

 

When the morning came around, Ruby awoke in her bed in the house they were renting. Hoping that everything that has transpired the previous night was all a bad dream, she rushed over to Yang’s room. When she opened the door and saw no-one, she went to the kitchen. There she found a note on the counter.

 

_ I'm sorry, Ruby. I didn't make it in time to save her. I know it won't bring her back, but I'm going after Adam. That bastard is going to get what's coming to him. I can't beat him alone, but I don't expect you to come with someone who wasn't good enough to help. If you decide you want to help, I will wait at the south gate until noon. I won't force you to come along, but I won't force you to stay behind either. I leave the choice to you. --Blake _

 

After reading the note, Ruby woke the others. In the end, it was a unanimous decision. They were going with Blake, and they were going to avenge Yang.


	2. Chapter 2

Blake stood next to the south gate, carrying her weapon and a bag with the rations she'd need to make it to the next town. She was hoping with all her heart that the others would want to come with her. However, as the clock neared noon, the chances of that happening became slimmer and slimmer. She figured she'd give them an extra half hour, on account of them having next to no notice. While she waited, she planned her route to finding Adam. Finally, just as she was about to give up waiting and leave, she heard someone calling out to her.

 

“Wait!”

 

Blake whirled around to see a flurry of rose petals chasing her down, and showing no sign of stopping. Finally, right before the osiria storm hit her, it stopped dead on the spot, revealing a winded Ruby looking up at her.

 

“Sorry we made you wait, we know you're in a hurry.” She apologized, panting.

 

“It's alright, Ruby. I was only planning on leaving if you didn't show up, anyways.”

 

“So you aren't leaving? Why is that?” Ruby questioned.

 

“Because this was my way of finding out whether you wanted me around or not.

 

“Well, why didn't you just ask us?”

 

“Because I know you Ruby. And you would say you want me around even if you didn't really.”

 

“Well, I want you to be around. And everyone else does, too. We all freaked out when we read your note.”

 

“Alright then, Ruby. I'll stick with you guys. We can stay here and take as much time as we need to recover from… what happened.”

 

“Yeah. Recover.” Ruby's smile faded for a second, but as quickly as it had disappeared,  it was back with a vengeance. “Let's head home,we need to explain to the others.”

 

“Yeah, let's go.”

 

They walked in silence for a few minutes with Ruby leading before Blake spoke up. “Ruby?”

 

“What is it, Blake?”

 

“I'm sorry. I'm sorry for running away. I'm sorry I couldn't save her. And I'm sorry for causing you all this pain.” 

 

“No.”

 

“What do you mean, no?” Blake asked, confused.

 

“Don't you even try to put all the blame on yourself. You only did what you thought was right. We were around you long enough to learn how you think, Blake. Yes, Yang was a bit fucked up when you didn't say goodbye, but she never held it against you. None of us did. We knew you were doing it because you thought getting away from us would keep us safe from him. But Blake, I'm just going to say this now. The farther away from us you get, the more dangerous he gets. It's not your fault, Blake. It's his. That bastard is a psycho whos so self centered that he thinks only having him left to go to will make you come back. He's going to come after us, whether you're here or not. And we'd rather have you around. So please, promise me you won't leave.”

 

Throughout Ruby's short speech, Blake felt something welling up inside her chest. It was similar to the love she felt for Yang, but it was different, somehow. Deciding to act on it, with tears in her eyes, she gathered Ruby up into a hug. “I...I promise you that I won't leave again.You guys are like family to me. And I'll protect you and stay with you as long as you want me.”

 

“Blake, you're like family to us, too. You're a big sister to me. And I'm sure Weiss sees you the same way, even if she won't admit it. And now that we're all back together, we can be one big family! And you can meet Oscar, and Uncle Qrow, and Dad!” 

 

“That would be wonderful, Ruby.”

 

Ruby talked Blake's ears off all the way back to the lodge, but right before they walked in, she stopped and turned to Blake, her expression having turned somber.

 

“Blake? I want you to know that none of us hold you responsible for what happened. We aren't mad at you, and we know you're just as messed up as the rest of us about this.”

 

“I know, Ruby. Thank you.” Blake responded, pulling Ruby into another hug, this one stronger, and it wasn't long until she heard Ruby gasping for air. She couldn't suppress a  giggle as she released Ruby from her grasp. Ruby gasped, and began breathing very heavily. When she recovered her breath, they walked inside to find the rest of their friends panicking to gather their things. When they noticed Blake, they all stopped what they were doing, staring at her. For a moment, everyone in the lodge was as still as a statue. Then the room exploded into motion. Weiss, for her part, tried to grab Blake, but her way was blocked by Jaune, Ruby and Nora. Those three had wrapped Blake in a bone crushing hug, and didn't seem intent on letting go anytime soon. Ren stood in the corner of the room, stoic as ever, but with a small smile on his face. Qrow and Oscar stood next to each other, Qrow with his arms crossed and a wide grin splitting his face in two, Oscar mostly confused, as he had not met Blake before.

 

“So. It looks like the cat came back home.” Blake heard from Qrow, as she struggled to breathe through the dog pile on top of her. Slapping at Nora’s arms, she struggled to escape from the death hug.

 

“Uh, guys? Her face is turning colors. You may want to let up a bit.” Oscar warned, concerned for Blake's well-being.

 

“Huh? Oh, sorry Blake! I guess I was so happy to have you back, I forgot how strong I am!” Nora said with a grin, as she and the others released her. 

 

After introducing Blake and Oscar, and explaining his situation, they all sat down and caught up with each other. They talked long into the night, and for a moment, Blake almost convinced herself that nothing had changed, and any second now, Yang would come down the stairs to make a shitty cat pun. But it never happened. It just wasn't the same without her. 

 

Once everyone was caught up, and after they had all eaten dinner and been updated on Blake's plans, Blake heard a yawn from Ruby. 

 

“I'm pretty tired, so I'm gonna go ahead and turn in. Goodnight, guys.”

 

“Goodnight!” came the chorus of voices in response.

 

As Ruby walked up the stairs, Qrow told them they should all get some sleep. It had been a long two days, and they had to leave for Patch on Sunday. They all agreed, each heading to their separate rooms, aside from Ren and Nora, who now shared a room. As Blake closed the door behind her, she was hit by a wave of exhaustion.  _ Qrow was right,  _ She thought,  _ it has been a long two days.  _

 

She walked over to her bed, gently removing her day-to-day clothes, and began checking herself for wounds. Finding none, she donned her yukata, glad for the strong yet loose fabric. It felt like home. She remembered the other faunus she had brought with her, and made plans to send them back to Menagerie the next day. Her last thoughts were of her friends, her family, and her home, before she slowly drifted into sleep.


	3. Haunted

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have just recently figured out an upload schedule, so I will be uploading at around noon every Wednesday and Sunday. Thanks again for reading!

Blake's eyes snapped open. The room was dark. Too dark. Her enhanced faunus eyesight couldn't even cut through this darkness. She looked around, seeing nothing. Everything was gone. The bed she had been in, the desk,  everything. As she searched her surroundings, her ears pricked up. She heard something behind her. A scream. She whirled around and saw… Yang? She was alive? Oh thank Gods, she was alive! Wait, why was she screaming? She looked behind Yang, and saw why. Adam. The damn bastard was standing behind her, a manic grin on his face, and his hand on the pommel of Wilt.

 

Moving as fast as she could, Blake stood up and rushed at them, intent on saving Yang, one way or another. She jumped to tackle Adam, but right before she reached them, her arms crumpled and she slammed her head against something. Neither Adam nor Yang noticed this, and Adam continued his advance, still grinning maniacally. Blake charged again, but found a barrier blocking her off. Desperate to stop Adam, she continued charging the barrier until her shoulder was bruised and battered, and when her shoulder hurt too much to continue, she began pounding on the wall with her fists, crying in desperation, but it garnered no attention from the figures on the other side. She began to scream, but to no avail. 

 

She watched as Adam drew his sword, the red dust infused into its blade looking more like blood every second. His grin widened as he slashed her hand off. Blake watched, helplessly weeping as she continued pounding on the barrier. Adam began laughing as he tortured Yang, first removing her feet below the ankles. Then her hands at the wrist. He removed her nose and her tongue, then her eyes from right to left. The entire time, Yang’s screams wracked her body, and Blake continued weeping. Adam began to drive his sword into Yang’s body, first into her right arm, then her left, each wound just below the shoulder. He slashed her across each cheek, her tears streaming down her face and mingling with her blood. She had stopped screaming at this point, her voice no longer functioning. He finished with a flourish and a stab to her gut. Her head lolled, and by pure chance, she was facing Blake, empty eye sockets staring at nothing.

 

“I told you, Blake, my dear. I made it my mission to destroy everything you love. She's gone. Who are you going to fail next?” She heard Adam's taunting voice in her head as her friends’ faces appeared before her, each with black eyes, their faces contorted in agony. “How many are are you going to let die in front of you? Helpless, alone, in pain? Hmm? How many will it take before you come back to me?”

 

“GET OUT OF MY FUCKING HEAD, YOU DAMN BASTARD!” Blake screeched, clutching her head and crying. 

 

“I'll always be here. You'll never escape. I will never leave. I am a part of you. You can't run away from yourself, can you Blake?” 

 

That was the last thing Blake heard before her vision was filled with white.

 

Blake woke up screaming, her voice hoarse and her eyes wet. Her heart was racing, her breathing hard and heavy. She was back in her room, moonlight filtering in through the window. She had expected nightmares. What she hadn't expected, however, was how intense, and how real it had felt. When she had calmed down some, she checked her scroll, wondering about the time. It was around one in the morning, so everyone else was probably still sleeping. She got up and headed to the bathroom, planning to wash her face and then return to bed for another hour before preparing for the day. She gently opened the door and stepped out, beginning her walk down the hall.

 

She stepped into the bathroom, and turning on the sink, pulled out a washcloth and began washing her face. When she finished, she turned off the sink and began to return to her room. As she turned around, she stopped at an unfamiliar noise. It was coming from Ruby’s room, and it sounded like quiet sobbing and gentle reassurances. Slowly opening the door, she peeked inside. Ruby was curled up into a ball on her bed, her body shaking violently with her sobs. Weiss was wrapped protectively around her, quietly shushing her, and reassuring her with gentle strokes on her head. Not wanting to intrude on the moment, Blake silently stepped back, and the door had almost closed when she heard Weiss speak up. 

 

“I know you're there, Blake. Come on in, it's fine. We need all the company we can get.” 

 

“Are you sure? I don't want to interrupt… whatever you were trying to do, Weiss.”

 

Weiss beckoned her over to join in the group cuddle. Blake sauntered over, and gently laid down next to the red and white pair. Attempting to lighten the mood, she asked, “So Weiss, if you don't mind me asking, why exactly are you in Ruby’s bed? And so late, too. Scandalous.”

 

Weiss gave Blake a gentle slap on the leg as Ruby giggled. “This isn't one of your smut books, Blake. And if you must know, we had nightmares.”

 

Blake sighed. “Yeah, me too. I was going to try to go back to bed, but I guess that's something you're going to let me do, is it?”

 

“Nope!” Ruby said, popping the  _ p _ and grabbing Blake around the waist. She was smiling, but Blake could see that she was still upset. Ruby nuzzled into Blake's neck, hugging tightly. Weiss scooted in closer, wrapping her arms around both girls gently. 

 

“Hey, Ruby?”

 

“Yeah, Blake?”

 

“Do you want to talk about it?”

 

“No, not really.”

 

“Do you, Weiss?”

 

“Not now.”

 

“Alright then. I'm here if either of you decide you do.”

 

“Thanks, Blake.”

 

“Yes, thank you. And we'll be here for you, should you need us.”

 

“Thanks, you two. Goodnight.”

 

“Goodnight Blake.”

 

“ ‘Night!”

 

The other two fell asleep almost immediately, lulled to sleep by Blake's warmth. As Blake watched the two women she considered sisters cuddle in their sleep, Blake felt her own eyelids droop. She soon fell asleep herself, Ruby's light snores and Weiss’s gentle murmuring eventually dragging her off into the land of dreams. None of them had any more nightmares that night.

 

\----------------------------------------------------------

 

For the next week, they repeated this routine every night, the only change being who's room they slept in. During their days, the would go shopping in order to prepare for their departure, and at night, they would sleep together, cuddled up to prevent nightmares. Then the day they were to leave Mistral came.

 

“Alright, listen up, kids, I'm only gonna say this once. I'm in charge here. If I'm not here, Oz is in charge. We're headed to Patch first, for reasons I'm sure you're all aware of. We're also going to be picking up some old huntsman friends of mine to help us out. Ready?” Qrow asked. At this, the whole group nodded. “Alright then, let's go. Arc, you're our navigator. You, Belladonna, and Rubes take the vanguard. Schnee, you take the mainguard with Valkyrie and Ren. Oz and I will take the rearguard. If you see a Grimm, yell out what kind, how many, and how big. I will decide whether to attack or change course.”

 

“Yes sir!” came the chorus of replies. 

 

“Alright then. If you've got any goodbyes, go do ‘em now, and meet back here in an hour.” he said, before pulling out his flask and walking off.

 

As they scattered, Blake went off in search of her parents, and Ilia. After about ten minutes of searching, she found them at the townhouse the city had provided for the faunus warriors who had come to stop the White Fang. After giving her parents a quick goodbye, Blake felt Ilia put a hand on her shoulder.

 

“What is it, Ilia?”

 

“You know how I said I'll stand by you the whole way? I meant it. Adam is scum. And I want to help you find him. I-If you'll have me, of course.”

 

“Of course we'll have you. You're my friend, Ilia. Come on, let's go meet up with the others.”

 

Blake took Ilia’s hand, leading her to the meeting point. The others were happy to have her, and with a quick change in the plan and introductions out of the way, they set off on their two week journey to Patch island.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't know if anyone caught it, but there's actually two references to The Princess Bride In this chapter, one was a reference to Westley's To the pain speech, and the other was to the wounds Count Rugen received from his fight with Inigo.


	4. Last Will and Testament

The trip to the docks was uneventful, for the most part. A few isolated groups of Beowolves, but they were easily dispatched. They arrived soon enough, quickly decided on rooms, and settled down for the three day journey to Patch. Qrow spent most of his time at the bar with Oscar, talking to Ozpin about their plans for finding Adam. Team RWB spent most of their time in their room, either sleeping or, in Ruby's case, cleaning, polishing, and sharpening their weapons far more than necessary. It seemed to make her happy, so Blake and Weiss let her go on with it. Team JNR adopted Oscar and Ilia onto the team, effectively becoming Team ORINJ. 

 

When they finally arrived on Patch, the mood of the whole group became very somber. They all knew what was next, and however much they didn't want to, it had to be done. They needed to explain to Taiyang what had happened. They began the trek up to the Xiao Long household, Qrow bringing up the rear. Ruby knocked on the door and stepped back into Blake and Weiss’s arms. The three had been nearly inseparable since that first night together, and were never out of each other’s sight for long. 

 

The door swung open to reveal a beaming Tai, who wasted no time in stealing Ruby for a hug. 

 

“You're back! Oh, I'm so glad! I was worried when you and Yang stopped sending letters. Speaking of, where is my little sun dragon?”

 

The group remained silent, and suddenly found their feet very interesting. A few moments passed, and when Blake realized that no-one was saying anything, she looked up, directly at Taiyang’s eyes.

 

“I-I-I’m s-s-sorry, Mr. Xiao Long. Your daughter… died during the White Fang attack on Haven Academy. I'm so sorry.” Blake choked through the sobs that began rolling through her body. 

 

Tai’s eyes widened in surprise and he tried to speak, but no sound would come forth. When he found his voice, he cleared his throat and spoke. 

 

“This-this is some sort of joke, right? It-it has to be.  Of course it is. Very funny, Yang! You scared the shit out of your old man! Haha, we're all laughing here! You can come out now! Where the hell are you even hiding? Come on out! You got me, you really had me thinking something had happened. Yang? Come on, honey, I figured it out! I know you're not-” he was cut off by Qrow’s hand on his shoulder.  He held out his flask to Tai.

 

“It's not a joke, mate. She's gone. When the bombs went off- she didn't make it out in time. I'm sorry.”

 

“She-She’s gone? How?” Tai asked as tears welled up in his eyes, and he collapsed to his knees. 

 

“Blake’s the only one who knows exactly how. You'll have to ask her.”

 

“And her body?”

 

“On the boat. She left her will recorded on her scroll. We haven't watched it yet, we wanted you to be there.”

 

“Alright then. Let's go watch it.” Tai ordered, standing and wiping his eyes with his arm.

 

They squeezed their way in, then huddled around the couch. Qrow connected Yang’s scroll to the television, selected the video, and pressed play.

 

‘ _ Is-is it on? Yep, there's the light. Well, you guys, here we are. If you're watching this I'm probably dead, or I will be soon. Here goes the last will and testament of Yang Xiao Long. First, when I'm dead, bury me next to mom. That cliff is a great place, and I want to watch the sun set over the water with her again. Second, don't mourn me too long, alright? We all knew what could happen when we signed up for this job. We knew the risks. I know you all enjoy being out there hunting, so don't let me being gone keep you from that for long.’  _ she sighed, blowing air past the microphone. ‘ _ What's next? Ah, my things. First and foremost, Dad. I want you to have my bionic. You could use a hand around the house.’  _ Yang snickered, and Tai let out a sad laugh. ‘ _ Next up, Rubes. Take my gauntlets. Wear them if you want, put them in your weapon like Jaune did, but just keep them with you, alright, baby sis?’  _ Ruby nodded silently, tears still streaming down her face. ‘ _ Blake, I have two things I want to give you, and something I want you to know. If I haven't told you yet, I will now. I love you. I have since the day I met, and I will until the day I die. I'm not mad at you for leaving, none of us are. I understand why, but if I'm not there for you to promise this to, then promise Weiss and Rubes that you won't leave again.’  _ “I promise, I'll never leave again.” Blake whispered, still hugging Ruby and Weiss. ‘ _ I want you to take my scarf, and the Bumblebee. You told me once how much you loved riding it with me, so you can have it. You can ride to your heart's content. Alright, Ice Queen, you're up next here.’  _ Weiss scowled at the nickname, but it was half-hearted and weak. ‘ _ I want you to have my jacket. I know it isn't much, but it's a hell of a lot better than that one you've got now. Also, I had Penny help me program some things before the fall, so if you text my number and say ‘I have your jacket’ my scroll will automatically send you a photo album of our time at Beacon. There'll also be a text file, that's for your eyes only. Do not tell anyone what it says until you've done the thing. Next up, Uncle Qrow. This includes you, too Oscar, so listen up. I don't have anything physical for you, but rather an idea. I want both of you to text my number with the following code. All capital letters, and a dash between each character, send P-3-N-N-Y. Then follow the instructions in the text file. Do not tell anyone who is not mentioned by name in the file. Meaning if it says ‘Dad’ and not ‘Taiyang,’ he doesn't know about it. Oscar, you and Ozpin are interchangeable here,so alter it if you need to in order to fit the new circumstances.  _ At this, Qrow nodded, pulled out his scroll, and sent the code. His eyes widened in shock before he put the device away.  _ ‘And that takes care of family. Jaune, Ren, and Nora, I couldn't think of anything specific for you guys, so feel free to take whatever you want. Well, I guess that's it. Don't let me being gone slow you guys down. I shouldn't be gone for long, but if I am, just know that I'm watching over you all. You're family to me. I love you all. Take care. _

 

With a smile and a wave from Yang, possibly the last one they would ever see, the video ended. The room was silent, letting Yang’s words sink in. This was the last time they would ever hear her voice, and they wanted to cherish it. Qrow was the first to move, grabbing Taiyang’s arm and dragging him off somewhere, presumably to drink. The other teens stayed for a few minutes, before leaving Ruby, Weiss, and Blake alone on the couch, huddled together with tears in their eyes. None of them slept that night, instead silently weeping for the woman they thought of as a sister.


	5. Family

Over the next few days, nobody saw much of team RWB, or Taiyang. They stayed mostly up in their rooms, grieving their loss. Qrow and Oscar would wake up early every morning and go off somewhere, not returning until long after nightfall. No-one knew what they were doing, and they didn't seem keen on telling.

 

Eventually, the day of the funeral came, a bright, sunny day, with a light breeze that gently rustled the trees. Yang's casket was lowered into her grave as the sun set, the simple yellow coffin reflecting the light and seeming to almost glow. When it finally settled down, the sun had slipped past the horizon, leaving just enough light to see. When the pastor asked if anyone wanted to say a few words, Blake stood up and walked to the podium. Taking a deep, shaking breath, and with tears in her eyes, she began to speak.

 

“I think everyone here can agree that Yang Xiao Long was a great person. She was always smiling, making jokes, and trying to make others smile. Even in her final moments, she was still telling horrible cat puns, trying her damndest to make me happy. But Yang wasn't just a great person. She was a huntress, a teammate, a friend, a sister, and a daughter. She was all of this, and more. She was like a mother to all of us on Team RWBY, and when she laughed, we laughed. When she cried, we did too. She was like a beacon, leading us to happier times. She kept us safe, and she was recklessly protective to a fault. And I know that she wouldn't want us to be sad, but it's hard not to be. Someone dear to all of us is gone. She's gone, and we're here. And as long as we're here, we'll honor her memory. She died doing what she loved, protecting people. And I, for one, won't let her sacrifice be in vain. We can help people, we can continue her work. And when I meet her at that gate to whatever afterlife is out there, I want to see her smiling again. So we'll remember her, and as long as we're here, we'll keep her alive in our hearts.”

 

With that, Blake returned to her seat, tears streaming down her face. As soon as she was seated, she was pulled into a hug by Ruby.

 

“Thank you, Blake.” Ruby whispered.

 

Blake simply hugged her back, not trusting her voice. The pastor continued with the funeral, and when it was over, everyone stood to leave, except for Ruby and Blake, who remained seated, hugging each other.

 

“We're going to stay here for a while. Go ahead and go back, we'll catch up with you.”

 

Not wanting to intrude, the others began the trek to Taiyang’s house, Weiss giving Ruby one last reassuring hug before walking off.

 

As soon as the others were out of earshot, Ruby broke down into uncontrollable sobs, her small frame shaking with every gasping breath. She had been bottling up, and Blake knew it. She let Ruby cry for a good twenty minutes, until she could shed no more tears. When she calmed down, she looked at Blake, eyes red and puffy from crying for so long. Blake silently pulled her into a hug before letting her own tears fall. She cried for nearly as long as Ruby, her tears soaking the back of Ruby's dress. When she had finished crying, she slowly stood from her chair, and walking over to Yang's grave, removed her bow from the top of her head. She placed it gently on Yang's gravestone.

 

For the first time, she brought herself to read the inscription. It was a simple stone, similar to her mother's. It bore her emblem, the burning heart painstakingly engraved by hand into the smooth marble. Underneath her name, a single sentence was chiseled in beautiful calligraphy.

 

_‘Hope Rises Like A Phoenix From The Ashes Of Shattered Dreams.’_

 

“Are you ready to go, Ruby?” Blake asked as she gave the stone one last look before turning around.

 

“Yeah. Let's go home.”

 

The walk back was silent, both Blake and Ruby caught up in their thoughts. Before they knew it, they had arrived at the house, and before they opened the door, Blake gave Ruby one last reassuring hug. Ruby hugged her back, clinging to her like her life depended on it. When they finally separated, Blake offered Ruby a small smile, which Ruby returned. They weren't completely okay, and Blake doubted they ever would be, but they felt much better after finally freeing all the emotion they had bottled up for nearly a month.

 

When they opened the door, they were surprised by Weiss charging at them and grabbing them both into a hug.

 

“Are you two alright?” She asked, checking them over.

 

“We're fine, Weiss. You don't need to worry.”

 

“I'm always worried, you dolt!”

 

“Well, you've worried enough. If you don't stop, your hair's gonna go white from stress!”

 

“Shut up and go get changed, Ruby.”

 

“Yes, ma’am!” Ruby said with a mock salute and a giggle.

 

Blake and Weiss watched her run up the stairs, a few osiria petals falling behind her. Weiss had a small smile on her face, turning into giggles as she heard Ruby trip and fall. She turned to Blake, powder blue eyes meeting amber.

 

“Blake, thank you for staying with her. I know she needed a good cry, but she didn't want to let it out in front of the others. I would have stayed myself, but I don't think my being there would have helped. I wasn't as close to her as you two were.”

 

“It's nothing, Weiss. I needed to let it out, too. But you wouldn't have been a problem. It would have been nice to have you there. Ruby would have been glad to have you, and I would too. Don't ever think you're a burden.”

 

“Still, thank you, Blake. And if you don't mind, I have a question-”

 

She was interrupted by Ruby coming back down the stairs, clad in her pajamas and Beowulf sleep mask. Gently hopping down the stairs, she brushed past Weiss and Blake, headed towards the dining room.

 

“Hurry up and go take your shower, Weiss, dinner is going to be soon. You too, Blake. We're having tuna~” she finished in a sing-song voice. In a flash, Blake dashed up the stairs, leaving Ruby and Weiss alone, giggling at their teammate’s antics. Life wasn't back to normal, and it probably never would be, but they still tried to find happiness, even in the middle of all that had happened.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I want to warn you all that this is going to be a fairly long fic, and alot of it is going to be character development, world-building, and characters training and becoming stronger. I want them all to be as well prepared as possible for the final chapters.


	6. Departure

They remained at Taiyang’s house for a few more days, before Blake decided it was time to get moving. Explaining her plan to Qrow, she quickly began planning their route, and gathering needed supplies. Once she had gathered everything they would need, she gave everyone their assignments.

 

“Ruby, Ilia, and I will be our scouts. Ruby’s speed, along with Ilia and my enhanced senses, will be useful for detecting Grimm in our path. Qrow, Weiss, and Jaune will be responsible for navigation, and finding our lodgings and campsites. Oscar, Ren, and Nora are the strongest out of all of us, and will be carrying the supplies as well as preparing the food. We should attempt to avoid Grimm encounters as much as possible, and only fight when absolutely necessary. At night, we will keep watch in pairs, and no less than two of us should be awake at all times. During the day, everyone will travel together, aside from Ruby, who will travel slightly ahead, reporting back with any Grimm sightings. Ilia and I will keep watch on the treeline, and the rest of us will form a protective barrier around Ren, Nora, and Oscar.” 

 

“Alright then, Belladonna. We'll follow you. Just remember about that village I told you about, we'll need to make a stop there to pick up a few things.” Qrow reminded her.

 

“Alright then, let's move out!” Blake exclaimed, pulling Yang's scarf up around her face. She began to walk, only to be interrupted by a high-pitched shout from behind her.

 

“Waaaaiiiit!”

 

The group turned around to see two figures running towards them, one waving frantically, the other calmly following.  As they crested the hill, Blake began to work out their features. One was obviously female, Blake could tell from her chest. She wore a pair of denim shorts and a black tank top that were clearly too small for her. Her bright red hair bounced lightly behind her with her every step. The sun glinted off of her glasses, making her look like an anime protagonist with an idea. The other was male, and also a red-head, however his hair was much darker, more like brick. He wore a dark red bomber jacket, black shirt, and gray pants. He walked calmly, but still quickly, a wide grin on his face. Blake noticed that he wore a katana on his waist, putting her on edge, but she instantly relaxed when Ruby dashed over to them, quickly scooping the girl up into a bone-crushing hug.

 

“Ohmigosh Nat! You're here! I haven't seen you since I left for Beacon! And you too, Pyro! It's been even longer since I've seen you!”

 

“Ruby!” The girl squealed, hugging Ruby back as tightly as she could, while the young man watched, a fond smile on his face. The girl looked about Ruby’s age, and the boy seemed to be the same age as Blake.

 

“Oh, c’mon Rubes, what about me? Don't I get a hug, little sis?” The boy questioned loudly, his deep voice reverberating in Blake's faunus ears.

 

“Alright, Pyro. C’mere.” Ruby said, as she charged directly at him, while the others froze in shock.

 

_ Did he just say ‘little sis’? Ruby never mentioned anything about having a brother! And why didn't we see him at Taiyang’s? Hold on, he seems familiar. Oh, he was at the funeral! And so was she. But if he’s their brother, where has he been this whole time?  _ Blake questioned herself, her mind tying itself in knots. 

 

Blake was broken out of her thoughts by the high pitched voice of the girl, who was bouncing on the balls of her feet, looking for all the world like a two-year old in an older body.

 

“Hey, Ruby! Who are these guys? I wanna meet ‘em!”

 

“Oh, right, you guys don't know each other. Go on ahead and introduce yourselves!” 

 

“Alright then, I guess I'll go first!” The boy shouted with a wide grin. “I'm Pyro. I used to work with Yang to train these two buttheads. And we aren't actually related, I just call her little sis because she's like a sister to me.” He explained, ruffling Ruby’s hair.

 

“Oh,oh, me next! I'm Nathair Ceatha, adorable snake at your service!” The girl exclaimed, springing to a salute with a silly grin on her face. The glares on her glasses disappeared, revealing her eyes, one a dull orange and one brown, with slits for pupils. “I used to train under Yang and Pyro before everybody went to hunter school.” She finished with an adorable pout directed at the other two. 

 

Ruby quickly apologized and began hugging Nathair again, while Pyro gave her a sheepish grin and rubbed the back of his head with his hand. 

 

The rest of the group began introducing themselves as well, with Ren and Nora  _ finally  _ introducing themselves as a couple, at which Ozpin grumbled and handed Qrow a fifty-lien card, Qrow simply responding with an ‘I told you so.’ 

 

When the introductions were finished,they quickly began to make amends to their plan. “Nathair, are you alright with carrying supplies?” Blake asked, 

 

“Yes, Ma'am.”

 

“And Pyro, can you help with navigation?”

 

“Of course. Anything to help out.”

 

“Alright then, Weiss, you'll be moved to the scouts. Pyro, you will take her place in navigation, and Nathair, you will help carry our supplies. We'll take an extra day of prep, so meet back here at noon tomorrow.” 

 

The chorus of replies all echoed some form of ‘yes’, and the group scattered, all headed to different stores they would need to visit. 

  
_This group just keeps getting bigger and bigger, huh._ _Well, I guess that's a good thing. We're going to need all the help we can get if we're going to take him down. I swear, I’ll take him down, even if it's the last thing I do. I will avenge you, Yang._ Blake thought, looking to the sky, and gripping Yang's scarf around her neck. She knew, somehow, that Yang was up there, smiling down on them, and protecting them even then.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the late upload today, my family believes that Easter brunch should be an all-day occasion.


	7. Evolution

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! This is the author's sister speaking. He apologizes for the late upload today, as he has recently fallen ill. He has been unable to write due to massive headaches, but luckily, he had this chapter prepared beforehand. Again, we apologize for the late upload, but he should be writing again, and back on schedule for Sunday.

A few days after they had left Patch, the group was sitting around the fire at their campsite, talking among themselves. Nora was regaling to Oscar, Nathair, Ilia, and Ruby about one of her famous recurring dreams, with Ren making necessary corrections. Pyro and Jaune were talking about their favorite video game series, Water Insignia. Blake, Qrow, and Weiss were wrapped up in a gentle conversation about their plans and what exactly Qrow had to ‘pick up’ from the village that was their next destination, something he didn't seem too keen on sharing.

 

Suddenly, they felt the ground shaking beneath them, and Blake noticed ripples in a nearby puddle. Immediately set on edge, Blake drew Gambol Shroud from it's sheath, setting it to its katana mode. All the others also drew their weapons, excluding Pyro and Nathair, Who simply watched the treeline intently. Suddenly, a group of Beowulves came charging out of the trees, dashing past the group of huntsmen. The trembling became louder and more frequent every second. 

 

Finally, a Goliath came crashing out of the forest and into the clearing, bellowing all the way. Reacting quickly, Blake grabbed Jaune out of the grimm’s path, as it came charging directly at him. When the monster realized that it had missed its target, it came to a screeching halt and began searching around. Spotting Nathair, it quickly began charging at her. Blake dashed towards her, intending to tackle her out of the way, but before she reached the girl, the goliath stopped in its tracks. Nat was nowhere to be seen, when suddenly a whip-like  _ crack _ was heard. Blake looked above her to see Nathair seemingly perfectly camouflaged with the sky, holding what seemed to be a whip with multiple tips, all sharp like swords. She lashed out at the giant grimm, slashing it's leg with her blades.

 

The titanic elephant grimm fell to it knees with a loud  _ thud.  _ Ruby dashed in at it, Crescent Rose at the ready. She began slashing at its face, twirling like an acrobat performing a dance of petal-coated, bladed death.She shouted to the others, snapping them out of their trance. They sped towards the beast, hacking and smashing as hard as they could. They succeeded in destroying part of the monster's face mask before it recovered its footing and stood back up. 

“Pyro, nail it!” Blake heard Ruby shout, and quickly turned to see Pyro, his entire body covered in flames, charging up a huge fireball in between his hands. She jumped back from the tusked titan,  warning the others to do the same. When everyone was out of the way, He unleashed his attack, the ball of white-hot flames sailing towards the grimm. The fireball slammed into the goliath’s side, winding it. It quickly recovered, however, and immediately targeted the nearest person. Ilia had been knocked over when the Grimm had spun around, and it began to charge her. 

 

The world seemed to move in slow-motion for Blake as she dashed towards Ilia, desperate to save her. She would be too late, and she knew it.

 

_ Gods dammit! I'm not fast enough. I'm… I'm going to fail her too, aren't I? No. I'm going to keep her alive, I just need to go faster!  _ Blake thought as she began pushing herself using her shadows.  _ Dammit, dammit, dammit, dammit! I need to go faster! _

 

Suddenly, Blake felt a wave of power wash over her. Before she knew it, she was next to Ilia, and had tackled her to safety, the goliath’s tusk barely grazing her, ripping her coat in half. She looked behind her to see a long trail of copies where she had been mere moments before, but rather than her regular statue-like copies that would never move, these clones were running around the grimm, distracting it and even attacking it. Confused, Blake stood and tried to summon another clone. It appeared right next to her, nodded, then immediately ran off to join into the fray along with her friends and all the other clones. Ilia was staring at her with an amazed look on her face, before she finally snapped back into action.

 

“Blake, I know what this is. I'll explain after we kill this thing. Let's go. And keep summoning those clones!” she shouted, drawing her sword and charging the grimm. Blake watched as her friend charged into battle, glad that she was safe, before removing her weapon from the ground where she had dropped it and running as fast as she could towards the lumbering monster. Summoning more clones as she went, she quickly slashed at its ankle before climbing up its leg and slashing its neck. Her clones quickly dispatched all of the Grimm’s legs, and it sunk to the ground, howling in pain.

 

The team wasted no time in mounting the creature and raining bullets down on its back. Before long, it was riddled with holes, and severely weakened, but not quite downed yet. Out of the corner of her eye, Blake saw Ruby batted away by the tusk of the Goliath with a shout. Blake noticed Pyro panting heavily, and his eyes flashed a dangerous red, before his entire body was engulfed in a raging inferno. He quickly drew his sword, the first time anyone in the group had seen it, its blade flaming, and he dashed towards the grimm, hacking away at its face. 

 

“Die! You! Bastard!” He shouted, punctuating each yell with a swing from his now burning katana. The flames wrapped around his arms, torso, and head, giving him an unearthly glow. His eyes glowed a brighter red than their usual, and left a trail behind whenever he moved. He quickly began hurling fireballs at the creature, while Blake sent a clone to check up on Ruby before joining him. Together, they began slashing at the titanic monster’s neck, attacking one of its weakest spots, and eventually cleaving its head right off, and the creature fell to the ground with a tremendous thud, the team of teens soon following suit, exhausted from the battle. 

 

A few hours later, they were seated around the campfire, celebrating their victory. Miraculously, only Ruby’s tent was destroyed during the battle,  so she would be sleeping with Weiss until they bought a replacement. Blake, however, was not participating in the celebration. She was busy trying to figure out what had happened to her semblance during the fight. Ilia said she knew something about it, so she decided to go ask.

 

“It evolved.” Ilia explained, surprising and confusing Blake. “When someone is put under extreme emotional stress, if their semblance is activated, it is possible for semblance evolution to occur. Evolved semblances are more powerful than their original counterparts, and require less aura usage to activate, but always come with a drawback. Semblance evolution is essentially like acquiring a new semblance, but very similar to the old one.”

 

“So what you're saying is that I'm more powerful because my semblance has changed?” 

 

“Yes, essentially. However, we do not know the exact nature of your semblance. Could you summon a clone, please?”

 

They quickly began testing the clone’s capabilities, and quickly discovered that they were dispatched with one solid blow. They seemed to act similar to a hive-mind, and were able to tell what Blake was thinking. However, unbeknownst to them, someone was watching them from a nearby cliff, calmly taking notes.

 

“So, it seems the cat finally came out of the tree. Can't wait to see where this goes." The figure said, eyes glowing a deep purple.


	8. Snake Venom

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have returned!

After a few hours of recovery, the team quickly packed up their things and left, as they were not keen on staying the rest of their night there. As they walked along, they made idle conversation amongst themselves, complementing each other and, in Weiss’s case, freaking out about Pyro’s true identity.

 

“You never told us you're Aiden Spark!” she exclaimed as she stared at him.

 

“Heh, sorry, must've slipped my mind.” He replied with a grin. “I'm surprised Rubes never talked about me.”

 

“Oh, I did. They didn't listen, though.” Ruby defended.

 

“Wait, hold on, I'm lost. Who are you?” Jaune interjected, a confused look on his face.

 

“Seriously, Jaune, have you been living under a rock for the past two years? He's Aiden Spark, leader of team ANCR. His entire team skipped two years after they completed their initiation in less than half an hour. They started at Haven in their third years! They're legends!” Weiss lectured him, and was about to continue before Aiden interrupted her.

 

“Awh, come on. We're not  _ that  _ great.” He said, humbly. “And please, just keep calling me Pyro. The fangirls have eyes everywhere. After I left Haven, I had to live at Nathair’s place and not leave for weeks to shake them.”

 

A chorus of ‘aah’s and ‘okay’s came from the rest of the group, and they eventually settled back into casual talking, although they all held Pyro in higher respects than before. Soon, Blake found that her normal aloof nature was not going to be helpful if she was to lead this ensemble, so she attempted to strike up a conversation with Nathair, curious about the younger girl’s history.

 

“Hey Nathair? Do you mind if I ask you a question?” She inquired, slowing down so the girl could catch up.

 

“Ask away! Also, please feel free to call me Nat.”

 

“Where did you learn to fight like that? And what kind of style is that, I've never seen anything like it.”

 

“Well, I grew up near Vacuo, actually, but we lived just far enough outside the city that Grimm and bandit attacks were pretty normal, so my mama started teaching me to fight as soon as I was able to learn. She started teaching me when I was six, and kept going until I was 13. She even helped me build my weapon!” she exclaimed as she uncoiled what looked like a whip with multiple heads. Upon further examination, Blake noticed that each head was actually a flexible blade.

 

“That's a very interesting weapon, Nat. What’s its name?”

 

“I call her Snake Venom. She's an urumi with a blowgun built into the handle. Mama always told me it was like my mum's weapon.” She finished with a fond, but sad smile.

 

“If you don't mind me asking, what happened to your parents?”

 

“Well, they were both Hunters, but Mama quit going on missions after I was born. And yes, they were homosexuals. And yes, I am somehow their biological child. Don't ask how, I have no clue. Anyways, my mum was killed on a mission when I was about eight, defending a small village from some freak Beowulf with three heads. Mama died in a Grimm attack right before I moved here. The only thing I have left of them is Mum’s locket and Mama’s glasses.” She explained, pulling out a heart-shaped locket and opening it to show Blake.

 

Inside the locket was a picture of two women and a younger Nathair, looking to be about five at the time the picture was taken. The women stood in the background, holding each other's hands while the taller went in for a kiss. The taller woman had bright orange hair and eyes, and seemed to be wearing some sort of maid costume. She had a bright green tail that protruded from underneath her skirt, clearly some sort of Faunus. The other woman had shorter, red hair pulled back into a low ponytail, and wore big, round  glasses over her chocolate-brown eyes. Her face was covered in a bright red blush,with a wide smile that showed her teeth. She wore a bright green hoodie, alongside black sweatpants and a pair of black, fingerless gloves. Nathair stood between the two women, a bright smile on her face as she watched a butterfly float past her.

 

As Blake handed the locket back to Nathair, she noticed a tear forming in the corner of the girl's eye. On instinct, Blake pulled Nathair into a hug, gently patting her head. However, when she tried to pull away, she was immediately pulled back in.

 

“Hehe. My Mama was a snake faunus, and I ended up being lucky enough to get a tail!” Nat exclaimed as she yanked Blake back, her bright orange tail wrapped around the older girl’s waist. She tightened her grip on Blake, intent on keeping the cat faunus as near to her as possible for the rest of the day.

 

Over the next few days, Blake and Nathair became fast friends, though it was really more like a mother-child relationship. Nathair would always manage to drag Blake into whatever scheme she planned, and the two were nearly inseparable. Of course, Ruby and Weiss were not left out, though Weiss would always groan that she now had to deal with two Rubys. Nathair became an honorary member of team RWB, and they officially renamed themselves team BWRN. They ate together, hunted together, and walked together when they traveled. Nathair and Ruby would tell stories about their time together at Signal, while the others would recount things that had happened at Beacon. 

 

A few days later, they were just outside the village Qrow had mentioned, when the faunus in the group stopped suddenly. They quickly drew their weapons and began looking around the clearing, leaving the others confused as to why their teammates were acting so strangely. 

 

“Everyone be on your guard, I hear something.” Nathair hissed, her tail flicking back and forth. The others promptly drew their weapons, the sounds of metal scraping metal filling the area. Suddenly, out of the corner of her eye, Blake caught the glint of metal flashing in the sunlight. She quickly readied her weapon as an attacker came sailing out of the shadows, wielding sickles attached to gauntlets on their arms by chains. As quickly as her foe appeared, they disappeared without a trace. 

 

“I see you're faster than I thought, Ms. Belladonna. But you seemed hesitant to attack me back. Why is that, I wonder?” Blake heard a voice ring out from the trees, and quickly pivoted to face in the direction of the voice. Looking up into the trees, she saw her attacker. A man wearing a dark purple cloak, and with glowing purple eyes. 


	9. Reunion

“Who are you?” Blake shouted at the new arrival, adopting a battle-ready stance.

 

“For now, my name matters not. Just know this. I am not your enemy. I simply wish to challenge you to a duel. One versus one, without interference from your friends.” The stranger replied, his voice calm and collected. 

 

“What are your terms?” Blake asked, attempting to stall. She was unsure whether she could handle this person herself, so she had quickly decided to wait for Pyro to catch up to them, as he had stopped to hunt for some extra food a few minutes ago. 

 

“Tournament regulations. We stop when one of our auras falls into the red, or is knocked out of this clearing. Now, let's not waste time here. Are you prepared?” He questioned her as he jumped from the tree branch he had been standing on.

 

“I still wish to know the name of my foe. I have to call you something.”

 

“You're stalling. I can tell. Just call me N for now. I'll tell you my real name when we finish the duel. Now ready your weapon, and prepare to fight!”

 

Blake did as she was told, realizing it was pointless to try to stall him any longer. Her friends quickly moved out of the way, realizing that this battle was likely to take up the whole clearing. N cast his cloak aside, revealing himself to the group. 

 

He was the same age as Pyro, but much taller, somewhere near Qrow’s height. He had black hair and dark skin, making his bright purple eyes even more obvious. He wore a purple jacket over a neon green t-shirt, along with purple pants. His mouth and nose were covered by a purple scarf, giving him a thief-like look, albeit a very flamboyant thief. He quickly flicked both of his wrists, at which his gloves expanded, now covering his entire upper arm. Out of each of them popped a small green scythe, attached to the gloves by chains. He took a scythe in each hand, bowing to Blake as he did so. 

 

Qrow called out for the match to start, and the two duelists began circling each other, each daring the other to make the first move. N was the first to attack, charging towards Blake and attempting to punch her. Blake quickly summoned a clone to take the hit for her as she jumped out of the way. Reacting quickly, N threw a scythe at Blake, yanking it back when it missed again. Seeing an opening, Blake grabbed the chain and pulled as hard as she could. N stumbled, and Blake ran in, swinging Gambol Shroud the whole way. She quickly directed three slashes at his chest, then continued running past him. Sure she had hit him, she sheathed her weapon, and began walking away until she heard N speak.

 

“So that's where you've been. I've been looking all over for you, Aiden Spark.”

 

Blake quickly turned around, seeing Pyro walking out of the forest towards N. The two quickly began glaring at each other, their eyes filled with fire.

 

“I shouldn't be surprised you used your semblance to dodge Blake's attack. It's been a long time, Nevis.”

 

Suddenly, N stood and looked Pyro directly in the eyes. The two continued to glare daggers at each other, before Nevis broke out into a huge grin. 

 

“Pyro!” He yelled, his voice filled with joy.

 

“Nugio!” Pyro shouted back, his face lighting up as he slammed his fist into the side of N’s head, sending him flying. “Me next, Me next!” 

 

The newly named Nugio was sent flying through multiple trees, snapping them clean in half. After coming to a stop, he jumped to his feet and charged directly at Pyro. The two boys slammed into each other, both falling to the ground with a loud  _ thud _ . They quickly recovered, however, and shifted so they were laying on their stomachs. They grabbed each other's wrists, and quickly began to arm wrestle. Neither one's arm moved, but the ground beneath them began to crack. The others looked on, extremely worried, but too scared for their lives to interfere.

 

Soon, the two had tired themselves out, and calmly rose to their feet. They walked over to the group of teens, who had lost interest in watching them and were talking among themselves. 

 

“I guess we should make some introductions then.” Pyro announced, prompting the others to stand and face the pair. “This is Nugio. He's one of my teammates from Haven.”

 

“Yes, he was my team leader. I guess I should fully introduce myself. My name is Nevis Daku Enjeru. I heard rumors that Pyro was seen travelling with a group of hunters, and decided to investigate. Once I learned what you had set out to do, I decided I wanted to join you.” Nugio explained.

 

“How did you take that attack? I hit you hard enough that you should have been completely incapacitated, but you got up like it was nothing.” Blake asked.

 

“My semblance allows me to make my body, along with anything I touch, temporarily intangible. I simply caused my chest to become untouchable. Warping the reality of quantum mechanics is very useful.”

 

“It's also a pain in the ass in a fight. He just, phases his weapon through your guard, no matter how good it is.” Pyro grumbled, glaring again at Nugio.

 

“Hey, it works, doesn't it?” He replied with a laugh. 

 

“Wait!” Weiss interrupted.

 

“What is it, Weiss?”

 

“If Pyro is Aiden Spark, and your team leader, that makes you… Nevis the Dark Angel! Oh my Oum, I have wanted to meet you for so long!” Weiss squealed, stars in her eyes as she rushed over to the pair.

 

“I never thought I'd live to see the day a Schnee squealed.” Qrow muttered under his breath.

 

“She's fangirling. Weiss Schnee, the  _ Ice Queen, is fangirling. _ Am I awake? Am I dreaming? What is this crazy upside down world?” Ruby’s voice started rising the farther she got into her sentence.

 

“For your information, I am not ‘fangirling.’ I simply admire them for their strength.” Weiss retorted, glaring over her shoulder at Ruby.

 

“Weiss, you're totally fangirling.”

 

“I am not, Blake!” Weiss yelled back, pouting adorably.

 

“As hilarious as this conversation is, I think we should probably head into town and find a place to stay.” Pyro interrupted them, standing up from where he had fallen over from laughter. 

 

“Agreed. It's getting late, and if we don't hurry, we might have to sleep in the woods again.” Ilia remarked, pointing towards the now slowly setting sun.

 

“Alright then.” Blake said, gathering herself. “Let's go get ourselves some rooms.”

 

As they walked into the town, Nathair stopped in her tracks and quickly grabbed Blake's arm. She clung to Blake like a scared child.

 

“Nathair? What's wrong?” Blake asked, worried.

 

“Something bad is coming. I can see it. There's blades, and fire, and blood. I-I’m scared, Blake.” She choked out, her voice trembling.


	10. Awakening

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies for the late, short upload today, but I have been much busier than I normally would be. I have realized that I'm not able to produce quality chapters at the current speed I am writing, so I have decided that I will now upload one chapter a week, every Monday. Sorry for all of this inconsistency.

Nathair awoke slowly, her senses returning one by one. The first thing that her waking brain registered was the feel of cool, clean sheets underneath her. She was laid on her side, her tail draped across her waist. Next, her hearing arrived, allowing her to hear snippets of a conversation behind her.

 

“That's all she said before she blacked out.” She heard Weiss explain calmly.

 

“Hmm. That's very interesting. Miss Rose, have you ever seen this happen before?” came a voice she didn't recognize.

 

“No, sir, I haven't.” Ruby responded.

 

“Is Nat going to be okay?” Blake asked, her worry blatantly obvious, if the fact that she was sitting next to Nat, stroking her head gently was any indication.

 

“She should be fine, Miss Belladonna. In fact, she should be waking up soon.” 

 

“That's good to hear.” Came the sigh of relief from Blake as the door was closed.

 

The room fell into a gentle silence, prompting Nathair to attempt to move, or at least open her eyes. After a few tries, she finally managed to crack her eyes open. Unfortunately for her, she was faced toward a wall, and had yet to regain movement. Desperate to let the others know she was okay, she tested her voice. 

 

“I-I’m awake!” she attempted to announce, making the other women in the room jump. It came out as a moan, and her voice was hoarse and quiet, but it did its job.

 

Blake was the first to react, quickly grabbing the snake faunus, pulling her into a sitting position and clinging onto her. The other two quickly scrambled over, checking over her to make sure she was alright. A few seconds later, Nat noticed that her shirt had somehow become damp. Looking down, she saw Blake, still hugging her, with tears filling her eyes.

 

“Don't you  _ ever  _ do something like that again.” She demanded, emphasizing her point with a squeeze to Nathair’s torso.

 

“I won't, but what exactly is it that I'm not doing? The last thing I remember is walking into town with everyone.”

 

“Well, once we walked through the gate, you grabbed Blake out of nowhere and started mumbling and crying, saying you saw something. After that, you just blacked out. We carried you here a couple hours ago.” Weiss explained. “Which reminds me, what exactly did you see? Only if you're ready to tell us, of course.”

 

“No, it's alright, Weiss. Just give me a moment to think. This is all happening pretty fast.”

 

The girls nodded in agreement, and they all sat in silence for a while, Blake still clinging to Nat like she was going to disappear. After a few minutes of listening to the rain pounding down on the building they were in, Nathair finally spoke up. 

 

“Ruby, could you gather everyone here, please? They need to hear this.”

 

Ruby nodded, taking Weiss by the hand and dashing off. Blake, feeling the need to compose herself, let go of Nathair and sat up straight, smoothing her clothes out as she did so. Nathair, having somewhat regained her movement, followed suit, attempting to tame her wild mess of hair with her hands. When the others finally arrived, they all pulled up chairs to listen as Nathair took a deep breath, still scared of the events of her vision. 

 

“So, you probably don't know this, but my semblance is something like clairvoyance. I have no control over it, but I occasionally receive visions of the future. I received one of these visions. I saw the village, covered in flames, surrounded by Grimm. Bodies were littered all over the streets, and I heard a fight going on nearby me. I heard blades clashing, and people yelling, but I couldn't move. Before long, the fight stopped, and I saw the victor walk over to me, laughing like a crazy person. That's when the vision ended.”

 

“What did the winner look like? Did you ever see their face?” Ruby questioned, her face full of concern.

 

“I never saw his face aside from his hair. He had really long, brown hair that was all tied back. He had a white shirt covered in a bunch of leather straps. He had what looked like axes on his arms, and a partially metal scorpion tail.”

 

As she spoke, the faces of her friends began to fall as they realized who she was speaking of. Tyrian Callows, the eccentric scorpion faunus with a vendetta against Qrow. He was clearly insane, often with an evil grin on his face. He looked like he was about to eat a child almost all the time. He was a psycho, and he was apparently coming for them. They needed to prepare, and quickly.


	11. Chapter Eleven

After learning of the events of Nathair’s vision, Qrow cleared his throat loudly. He looked anxious, and was glancing around nervously. After a moment of silence, he desperately grabbed at his flask, ripping off the cap and taking a long gulp. When he finished, he took a deep breath, and put the small bottle back into his pocket before sighing.

 

“Look. I know how much you all care about each other. And I know that the second Tyrian shows up, you're going to want to fight him to protect the town. But no matter what, I want you to do as I say. This guy is no joke. He took out my aura the last time we fought. So, promise to follow my instructions if and when he shows up. All of you.”

 

A silence passed over the room, each member of the group contemplating Qrow’s words. Ruby was the quickest to respond, her face darkening as she looked Qrow directly in the eyes.

 

“No.”

 

“Ruby…” Qrow started, only to be interrupted by the little red reaper.

 

“I said, NO. Qrow, I know what you're thinking. ‘He's too strong, we can't beat him. I'll sacrifice myself while they run away.’ Well, I'm not going to run away. I'm not going to save myself while my friends and family get killed by that piece of shit.” She spat. “Especially not when I'm his target. I'm going to fight with you. Whether you like it or not. I'm tired of relying on others. I'm tired of dragging people down. So I'm going to help, dammit!”

 

Qrow desperately looked to the others, silently pleading them to talk her down. However, no-one responded, instead standing up and moving behind Ruby.

 

“I'm done running away.” Blake said, placing her hand on Ruby's shoulder.

 

“I will go wherever Ruby goes.” Weiss added, a gentle smile on her face.

 

“Yeah! Rubes is the best!” Nathair shouted, a smile much wider than Weiss’s on her features, her fangs visible and glinting in the light. 

 

“Hell yeah! Let's take this fucker out!” came Pyro’s voice, full of enthusiasm. “Let’s break some legs, Nora!”

 

“Yes!” Nora growled, an evil grin slowly spreading across her face.

 

“Yay?” questioned Ilia, Oscar, and Nugio simultaneously, still unused to the group's antics.

 

Ren and Jaune simply smiled, looking at each other and their friends before nodding. Qrow just sighed, pulling out his flask again.

 

“I guess I shouldn't have expected anything less from you kids. Fine. If you're gonna fight, I won't stop you. But I will prepare you. Everyone head to the field outside town.” He ordered them as he stood, before shifting into his bird form and flying out the window.

 

A few minutes later, the group arrived in the clearing to see Qrow standing in its center,grinning. He stood cockily, one hand on his hip, the other on the handle of his weapon. Harbinger was hefted over his shoulder in its broadsword form, reflecting sunlight off of it and causing the teens to squint. He waited until they reached him before speaking. 

 

“Now, I know you've all mastered killing Grimm. But we need to work on your person-to-person skills. All of you. So we're going to spar. Our only rule is to stop when your aura is completely depleted. First up is Oscar and Jaune. Oscar, don't make Oz do this for you. You need to be able to fight for yourself.” 

 

“Alright, let's go.” Jaune said, as the others stepped back into the trees to watch.

 

Oscar looked incredibly nervous, but he quickly calmed himself. A determined look flashed across his face, a grin following after.

 

“Alright Jaune, let's see what you've got!” He exclaimed, quickly slamming the handle of his cane and dashing forward as it extended. Jaune unfolded his shield, bringing it up just in time to block the strike.

 

Oscar bore down on Jaune, pushing the shield as hard as he could. He was far stronger than he looked, undoubtedly from working on a farm. It was all Jaune could do to keep from losing his balance, his sword still remained in the sheath, leaving him with no way to fight back. Out of options, he simply shoved forward, hoping to dislodge Oscar. Oscar stayed rooted to the spot, but Jaune was now towering over him, shadows blotting out his face. He drew his sword before jumping backwards and refolding his shield. Grasping Crocea Mors with two hands, he rushed towards Oscar and began unleashing a flurry of attacks, the sound of metal slamming against metal filling the clearing. The two fighters’ arms were blurs, each equally as fast as the other. Every strike was parried, every swing blocked. Sparks flew as their weapons collided, and the strikes reverberated through their arms.

 

The duel went on for a full half hour, both warriors refusing to give in. However, the tides changed when Oscar misjudged a swing, missing Jaune entirely. Seeing an opening, Jaune slammed his sword into its sheath, quickly switching it to its larger form. He redrew the weapon, swinging it as hard as he could at Oscar. The blade slammed into Oscar's stomach, sending him flying into the air like a rag doll. His back collided with one of the surrounding trees, knocking his breath out of him. He fell to the ground, gasping for air. Checking his aura, he noticed that he had fallen into the red, and was no longer fit to fight. He stood, gratefully accepting Jaune’s hand when he offered it.

 

Blake, who had been watching from the sidelines, was awed by how much Jaune had improved. He had come a long way from the overly confident, dense, awkward boy she had known at Beacon. He was much more coordinated, and more determined. Maybe it was because of the things he had endured, but he looked older, and more mature. She looked to her other friends, noticing the same change in them. They had been through alot, but they never gave up. And it was likely they never would. They all had one goal, and they would give anything to complete it. They would defeat Adam, and keep people safe.


	12. The Unwelcome Visitor

Blake was snapped out of her thoughts by the sound of Ruby squealing. She spun her head around to see the red-themed girl staring at something, unmoving. Blake followed her gaze, eventually seeing Weiss standing stock-still, a look of terror on her face. She held two trays in her hands, one full of freshly baked cookies, the other holding several mugs of coffee, still steaming. Realizing the immediate danger she was in, Weiss slowly set the plates down, before taking a large step backwards and bracing for impact. Ruby slammed into Weiss’s slender frame, the two of them falling to the floor, giggling. 

 

_ She really has gotten stronger over the last week.  _ Blake thought as she looked on, hiding her own laughs behind her hand. After hearing of the threat of Tyrian, the teens had decided to remain within the village, determined to protect its citizens. They had been training for almost a week now, sparring each other in a near constant state of focus, analyzing each other's moves and discovering weaknesses in their own. They would spend most of their time out in the field, attacking each other relentlessly, never holding back.

 

Blake returned her thoughts to reality, where Ruby was devouring the cookies at an obscene rate. Her friends watched as well, shocked at the speed with which the baked treats vanished. Before they knew it, they were all gone, not a crumb remaining. Weiss sighed, placing a hand on her face and shaking her head.

 

“Well, those were intended for everyone, but I guess since  _ someone _ ate them all, I can go get the ingredients to make more.” She said, walking over to the closet and grabbing a handbag.

 

“Sorry, Wiess!”

 

“It's alright, Ruby. I probably should have expected-” She continued, before opening the door and suddenly cutting herself off. She pivoted, slamming the door shut before dashing over to the couches they had been sitting on. She jumped behind one, falling to the ground with an undignified  _ thud _ . A second later, she had poked her head up from behind the back, her eyes and hair the only things that were visible.  

 

“Weiss? What's wrong?” Ruby questioned, concern filling her features. “I've never seen you so scared.” 

 

At that exact moment, the door was slammed open, flying off its hinges and into the room. A pair of Atlesian soldiers marched into the room, before halting and standing at attention. Weiss popped her head back out of view, and a bright red exclamation mark appeared on Ilia's face. The teens all stared at the doorway, prepared to draw their weapons. 

 

“That was a bit… barbaric, wasn't it? There was no need for a bomb.” Came a man's voice through the smoke, as two figures came into view.

 

“Yes, I agree.” Came another voice, this one younger and with a higher pitch.

 

The two continued through the smoke, eventually clearing it and revealing themselves, as well as the reason Weiss had hid. 

 

“Weiss! Where are you?!” Jacques Schnee bellowed, his voice carrying through the whole house.

 

“Um, she's not here, sir.” Nathair told the man, meekly grabbing her tail and pulling it close to her chest.

 

Jacques examined her from her head to her toes, his scrutinizing glare enough to make Nathair sweat nervously. When he had finished studying her, he straightened himself.

 

“And why would I ever take the word of Faunus trash like you?” He asked, spitting at her feet. He turned away from her to address Ruby. 

 

“Where is my daughter?” He shouted in Ruby's face, spittle flying everywhere.

 

Ruby's face, however, had darkened. Much of it was shadowed by Jacques hovering over her, but Blake could see her eyes practically glowing with rage. It was a stark contrast to how cheery her personality had been mere minutes ago.

 

“And what, may I ask, in the nine hells makes you think I'll help a racist, abusive  _ BIGOTED SON OF A BITCH LIKE YOU?!? _ ” She shouted the last few words, before bringing her hand up with lightning speed. Before Jacques could react, he had been sent flying by the power of Ruby's slap, crashing into the wall next to him. 

 

The Atlesian soldiers quickly readied their weapons, one making the unfortunate mistake of aiming at Nora. Ren was on him in an instant, his face contorted in uncharacteristic rage. He had foregone his weapons and simply slammed his foot into the guard’s face.

 

“Don't touch her!” He growled, as he slammed the heel of his palm into the soldier's nose.

 

“WAIT!” Weiss screeched,her voice shrill as she stood from her hiding place. The entire room froze, and everyone stared at her. All guns in the room were loaded, and ready to be fired at the slightest movement. She stared her father down as he stood, glaring at him with the heat if the sun. She pointed her rapier at him, all her fear replaced by anger. 

 

He glared at Ruby, his eyes filled with hatred, before composing himself, snapping his eyes to Weiss.

 

“I've come to bring you home.” He said, matter-of-factly.

 

“I'm not going.” She replied, keeping her eyes locked with his.

 

“Yes, you are. General Ironwood-” he began, before Qrow cut him off.

 

“James and I have been talking, and he said you needed to borrow a few soldiers for security at the mines. He also mentioned something about air travel out of Atlas being temporarily illegal. I could call him up right now and tell him you're here. Bet he'd love to hear that.” Qrow drawled, his speech somewhat slurred from drinking.

 

Jacques’s face contorted in rage, his face turning a livid red. He began shouting at Qrow, unleashing all his anger at once. Much of what he said made no sense, and was filled with obscenities and racist comments about the Faunus. Eventually, Blake had had enough, and walked up to Jacques, slapping him across the face. He rounded on her, prepared to fight back, but Weiss followed Blake's example, but rather than slap her father, she reared back a fist and slammed it into his gut.

 

When he caught his breath, he glared at the two before quickly grabbing Weiss’s arm. He began to drag her towards the door, but she wrenched free of his grasp, running back towards her friends.

 

“Young lady, if you do not come with me right now, I am going to-GAH!” Jacques started, before gasping in pain. 

 

It was all Weiss could do to stare in horror at the blades protruding from her father’s chest.


	13. Stinger

Jacques looked down at the blades rising from his chest, his face twisted into a combination of shock and rage. He watched as the blades were removed from his body, and his flesh was rent apart from itself with a loud squelching sound. Blood began to pour out of the wound, soaking his white suit and changing it to red. He found himself unable to breathe or speak, only managing short, sputtering gasps of air. His eyes began to glaze over, and he crumpled to the floor, lifeless as his blood began to pool underneath him.

 

As he fell, the teens watched, mortified. For most of them, it was the first time they had watched someone die before their eyes. However, to Ruby it was something different. To her, it was another person she had failed to save, another death she had been too slow to stop. It was  _ her  _ failure,  _ her  _ fuck-up. She saw only her own failure, but she couldn't bring herself to look away.  Her face was wet with tears, but she didn't register them. She felt nothing.

 

She snapped out of her haze when she heard maniacal laughter from behind the former CEO. She looked up to see Tyrian, laughing and licking his lips. He held Whitley up by the collar of his suit, his eyes glinting with murderous intent. His eyes flashed yellow as he glared at the Rose.

 

“Hello,  _ bitch _ .” He spat, his eyes filled with contempt for the girl as he threw Whitley to the side. “I think we have some unfinished business. I still need a few things from you.”

 

Ruby stood and glared straight into Tyrians eyes, slowly bringing a shaky hand back to grab Crescent Rose.

 

“You know, there's an old saying. ‘An eye for an eye’, right? What have you taken? Let's see… ah! Young Cinder’s eye and arm, and my tail!” Tyrian continued, snarling. “So I think I'll take an eye, an arm, and a leg!” He finished with a manic giggle.

 

Blake watched as the scene unfolded, finding herself unable to move. She tried desperately to grab Ruby, pull her back, but her muscles wouldn't respond. She watched as Ruby quickly drew her scythe, aiming a quick slash at Tyrian’s head. That's when Blake realized it.

 

Ruby was no longer herself. The Ruby she knew would never go for a strike like that, was never so willing to harm another person. In that instant, Ruby was gone, replaced by a woman full of rage, sadness, and pain. She watched as Ruby moved in ways she had never seen before, twisting and contorting in the air. 

 

Ruby’s mind was blank. She couldn't think, couldn't stop herself. She was seeing red, and she was letting it out on the damned psychopath. Her sadness, her rage, all of it. Right now, the only people in the world were the two fighters, clashing and whirling in a dance of death. Neither would give in, and neither showed any signs of fatigue. They just continued, even in strength and speed. Until Tyrian whipped his tail out.

 

Ruby barely registered the flash of metal flying for her face before it stuck her, sending her backwards, grasping at her face. Her cry of pain snapped her teammates out of their trances, and they reacted quickly, Weiss grabbing Ruby and cradling her while Blake summoned clones, sending as many as she could at Tyrian as Nathair drew Snake Venom. They unleashed everything they had, pouring as much energy as they could spare into their attacks.

 

“Well, you certainly have gotten stronger. There's more of you now, too. I didn't really have to hurt anyone. But this is certainly fun! I'm going to enjoy ripping your limbs off as your friends watch!” Tyrian shouted, swinging his tail around like a mace. The tip that Ruby had sliced off was now pure steel, attached to its base by a chain. “I suppose I shall have to thank Watts for this prosthetic. But that comes later. Now, you die!”

 

His attacks suddenly began increasing in speed, pushing Blake and Nathair back towards their friends. Sparks flew off of their weapons as they were forced on the defensive, unable to find an opening and retaliate. Blake screamed as she pushed her semblance to its limits, summoning as many shadows as she could in an effort to push back.

 

Suddenly, Tyrian stopped. He kept his stance, but never moved a muscle. The chain between the parts of his tail froze, suspending the tip in mid-air. Out of the corner of her eye, Blake saw Weiss gently lay Ruby down from where she had been laying. She watched as the heiress calmly advanced on Tyrian, Myrtenaster still sheathed at her hip. She looked down and saw that a black glyph had appeared below the scorpion faunus, one of Weiss’s immobilizers.

 

Weiss was furious. She had never, not once in her life, truly been this mad. He was with Salem. He was with Cinder. And he had  _ dared _ to touch her team leader. So now he would pay. She stepped towards Tyrian, fuming. At some point, she had ruptured the fire and ice dust cartridges in her rapier, and the two had combined with her aura to envelop her entire body in blue flames. As she stepped closer and closer, Tyrian began to feel something he had never felt before: fear. He was afraid of what she would do.

 

Weiss finally stopped a few feet from the immobilized man, glaring at him with the heat of the sun. In less than an instant, Weiss had summoned a Lancer and made it stab him straight through the chest. Its barbed stinger was quickly drawn out, his still-beating heart coming with it. She released Tyrian from the glyph, watching him crumple and begin to scream as he stared at the gaping hole left by Weiss’s summon. But the scream never left his mouth, as Ruby had dashed over and slashed his throat. After a few moments, his head rolled off his shoulders, his face permanently twisted into an expression of pain and rage. Blood began to gush out of the wound, staining the carpets red.

 

Blake felt her strength leave her as she held back the urge to vomit. She fell to her hands and knees, her breaths heavy and short. The last thing she heard was someone calling her name as the world slowly faded away.


	14. Sed Non Mortuus

Blake’s eyes opened slowly, taking in the world around her. It was pitch-black aside from a single, small point of light, directly above her. She stood as she watched the small point gently float towards her. She followed its path with her eyes as it slowly bounced up and down in front of her, its brightness rhythmically fluctuating. She stared for what seemed like hours, unable to look away from its mesmerising beauty. 

 

Suddenly, the light flashed, and Blake heard a familiar voice behind her. She spun around, looking for its source, but found nothing. She turned back to the light, which flashed again, as the same voice repeated what it had said.

 

“B-”

 

The light began to flash with greater intensity, matching the voice as it grew louder and more clear, but not clear enough to identify.

 

“Bl-”

 

“Bla-”

 

“Blake!”

 

Blake's eyes snapped open, blinding her with a bright light. She bolted to a standing position, gasping for air. She looked around, expecting something wrong, her eyes wide with panic. Seeing nobody around her, she began to panic even more, worried for her friends’ safety. She started to call out to them when she felt something slam directly into her spine. She fell straight back onto the ground, trapped underneath the sudden weight.

 

She tried to struggle, managing to flip herself onto her back before she paused and looked at her chest. There she saw Weiss and Ruby, clinging to her as if their lives depended on it. She took a moment to observe her surroundings, absorbing the aftermath of their battle with Tyrian. The building’s walls had partially collapsed, and much of the furniture was destroyed. The windows were shattered, bits of glass scattered across the floor. 

 

She returned her gaze to her stomach when she heard a quiet sniffle. Ruby was looking up at her, one eye covered by her hair. The one she could see was pink and swollen, and it glistened in the light. Her cheeks were wet with tears, and her usual cheery smile had been replaced with a wavering frown, her lower lip trembling as she sniffed and hiccupped.

 

“B-Blake!” She sobbed, burying her face back into the cat faunus’ midsection, soaking her with tears. “I-we thought y-you were d-d-dead!”

 

“You lost a lot more blood than we thought during that fight.” Jaune explained to Blake as he walked into the room, sitting down next to the three girls. “I was able to heal the major things, but… you stopped breathing. We tried CPR, but it wouldn't work. At some point, your heart stopped. We had to use some of Weiss's electrical dust and shock you back. The fact that you're alive right now is a miracle.”

 

“The kid’s right, you should be dead.” Qrow interrupted. “I dunno how you survived, but we'll talk about that later. For now, we need to get up, and get the hell out of dodge.”

 

“Right. Blake, can you stand?” Jaune asked, holding out a hand to help the girl up.

 

“I would, but I don't think I'm going anywhere until Rubes and Weiss move.” She responded with a small chuckle. 

 

At this, Weiss began to stand, slowly and deliberately. She wiped her face, smearing her tears along her cheeks. Her hair was a mess, strands having come free of her ponytail and settling in front of her face. Her eyes were as red as Ruby’s cloak, swollen and full of emotion. She reached down to help Ruby up, but the red-themed girl simply buried herself farther into Blake's chest.

 

“Come on, Ruby. Blake needs to get up. We have to go.” Weiss urged, her voice cracking. 

 

Ruby simply shook her head in response, squeezing Blake as hard as she could.

 

“Don't wanna let go.” She mumbled into Blake's shirt, the words disappearing into the fabric.

 

“Ruby... look at me.”

 

Ruby did as she was asked, bringing her face up to meet Blake's. She was still crying, tears flowing freely down her face.

 

“I'm not going anywhere. I promise. But we need to leave. Soon.” Blake told the smaller girl, her voice soft and sympathetic.

 

“O-Okay.” Ruby replied, her voice still shaking as her tears continued to flow. She stood up slowly, and Blake followed her.

 

“Alright. Now, let's get out of here and get you all cleaned up.” Blake said, as Ruby latched onto her again. She could see that Ruby’s right eye was covered in blood, and she had tried to hide it with her hair.

 

They gathered the other teens, most of whom were unharmed. As they left the remains of the house, Weiss took a moment to glance back at her father and brother’s remains. Whitley had died a few minutes after the fight had finished, his back snapped in two. He was laid next to his father, both of them now pale, their eyes blank and dull. Looking around the room, she spotted a vase, full of dark purple flowers sitting on a miraculously untouched chest of drawers.

 

She gathered them up, holding them together with what remained of her tiara. She gently placed them on her father's chest, lingering just for a moment before pulling away and walking off. She may not have liked the man much, but he had raised her, and she'd be damned if she let that debt go unpaid.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize for the late upload this week, my internet has been out since Monday, and has only just been restored.


	15. Announcement

So, as you've probably noticed, I have not uploaded a new chapter this week. I was hoping to make this announcement at the end of chapter 15, but this seems like a better place. I have decided to go on hiatus for a while. I've been wrestling with this for a few weeks, and I've realized that I cannot write quality content while also dealing with exams and other things. The next chapter will likely be posted sometime in Mid-June, in order for me to focus on school and my health. I sincerely apologize for not announcing this sooner. Thank you to everyone who has been reading so far, it feels amazing to know that others enjoy my work. Keep an eye out for the chapter, and I'll be back in a few weeks!


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